Title: THE SPIRIT LIFE OF BIRDS

Maia and the folks at Adder's Tongue have released a powerful testament to the
relationship between a couple and the profound pain of separation. Maia first
met Charlie in 1979 and two years later began a bond that lasted physically
until Charlie's passing in 2005 and continues, emotionally and spiritually,
today. In THE SPIRIT LIFE OF BIRDS , Maia allows the
reader to glimpse her love, loss, and longing in a way that is poignant and
sensual at the same time.

Her imagery is taken from
the natural world and the music they shared, especially the Portuguese mornas
and fado of Brazil and Cape Verde. Every plant and bird, every note and song is
a reminder for her. She has presented them with such control and impact as to
make Charlie, and her own grief, familiar to anyone who reads these
poems.

This is not to say that it is
all wailing and hair tearing. Maia also shows the profound gratitude for being
able to share this world with the one she was meant for. She does this with a
grace and softness that is the perfect counterpoint to her loss. One cannot read
these works without being touched, saddened, and uplifted all at once.
Congratulations to both Maia and Adders' Tongue on a beautiful book.

Okay, that said, BACK ON THE STATIONARY BIKES!!!

What does the title have to do with writing? I was at the regular meeting of the Ventura County Writer's Club on Tuesday last. This month's meeting was to present the winners of the clubs annual poetry contest. After the presentation I overheard someone remark that learning to write poetry could be helpful in other styles and genres of writing.

Working cross platform for so many years I've never given this much thought. I just figured everyone did it. Imagine my surprise when a number of members admitted to not writing (some even said they didn't read poetry) and not seeing how it could be helpful in fiction, memoir or any other type of writing.

What is poetry? The long explanation can be had here. The synopsis, loosely, is an emotional presentation, highly symbolic and concise, of a scene, moment, or feeling an author wishes the reader to have an equivalent emotional reaction to. Poetry, as a rule, is far shorter than prose, (though there are any number of narratives we all still groan over, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge being one that comes immediately to mind), and it's language is far more abstract. It is that way in order to evoke emotion with a technique typified as Show Don't Tell.

Here is where the usefulness of poetry to the prose writer comes in. One of our problems in writing prose is too much exposition! In other words, too much telling, not enough showing. Nothing will slow a plot down faster and lose a reader quicker! By studying how things are said in a poetic form we are gaining a symbolic vocabulary to paint a picture for readers instead of telling them what to see or feel. This can be used in developing characters, setting scene and mood, or describing action.

But that poetry stuff is just too flowery! I recommend you take a look at the surge in prose poetry occurring worldwide. This is a melding of the two forms to create a deeper, more accessible form for both.

It's all about precision. The best stories we read may be rife with detail and description but, if they're truly to hold a reader's attention, it must be done in a way that makes you part of the story and sharing what the characters are feeling. This is the heart of poetry and why it is well worth any writer's time to take up reading, if not writing, it. There is such a breadth of style and subject, old as time and new as tomorrow, it would be near impossible not to find something appealing.

Meanwhile...live, love, write.

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form below. I can be reached directly at dbaylis805@gmail.com . You can
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also looking for submissions to the Your Work/Your Love page. Authors retain all
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About Me

Boston born, Irish descent. Former special ops engineer. Artist, poet, writer, musician. Husband, father, grandfather and enjoying all three immensely. Traveled, educated, experienced but not overwhelmed by myself. I have my opinions and respect others so long as we can openly discuss them without believing that conversions are always necessary.